Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Hayes’

ABSTRACT

A Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Hayes’ characterized by its large sized blooms with orange ray-florets and yellow-green disc florets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘Hayes’ is a product of a breeding-program which had the objective ofcreating new chrysanthemum cultivars with a daisy type flower, a 5 weekresponse and a medium plant height. The new plant of the presentinvention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant.‘Hayes’ is a seedling from a cross in a breeding program maintainedunder the control of inventor. The female parent is ‘Virunga’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 12,437), the male parent is 94.1106, an unpatented,unamed seedling. The male parent is not available to inventor fordescription. A comparison with the female parent ‘Virunga’ is made inthis description. The new and distinct cultivar was discovered andselected as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross byRob Noodelijk in a controlled environment (greenhouse) in RijsenhoutHolland in April 1997. The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘Hayes’was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initialselection in June 1997 in a controlled environment in RijsenhoutHolland.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemumbearing large sized blooms with orange ray-florets and yellow-green discflorets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum isshown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true aspossible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the foliage of the new cultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of chrysanthemum is of the botanical classificationChrysanthemum morifolium. The observations and measurements weregathered from plants grown in a greenhouse in Rijsenhout Holland in aphoto-periodic controlled crop under conditions generally used incommercial practice. The greenhouse temperatures during this crop wereat day-time between 18° C. and 25° C. and at night 20° C. Thephoto-periodic response time in this crop was 50 days after an averageof eight long days. After this long day period to flowering growthretardants were applied 6 times in an average dose of 1.5 gram/literwater. The plants were observed (directly) during the flowering of thiscrop. No tests were done on disease or insect resistance orsusceptibility. No tests were done on cold or drought tolerance. Thisnew variety produces large sized blooms with orange ray-florets andyellow-green disc-florets blooming on the plant for 5 weeks. This newvariety of chrysanthemum has been found to retain its distinctivecharacteristics throughout successive propagations however the phenotypemay vary significantly with variations in environment such as lightintensity and temperature. To show the phenotype as described ‘Hayes’can be planted without assimilation lightning (high pressure sodiumlamps) between week 50 and week 40 of the next year under greenhouseconditions in Holland. With assimilation lightning (minium level 2500lux) it can be planted year round under greenhouse conditions inHolland.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivarin comparison to ‘Hayes’ is ‘Virunga’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,437). When‘Viunga’ and ‘Hayes’ are being compared the following differences arenoticed: The difference of ‘Virunga’ and ‘Hayes’ are (1) flower size (2)Flower color and (3) flower shape.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics thatdistinguish ‘Hayes’ as a new and distinct variety. The colordesignations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, anydiscrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted inthe photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart usedin this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,edition 1995.

Botanical description of: Cultivar ‘Hayes’

Bud:

Size.—Medium;cross-section 1.2 cm, height 1.4 cm.

Outside color.—Greyed-orange 168 B.

Involucral bracts.—2 rows, length 7 mm, width 3 mm.

Involucral bracts among disc-florets.—Not present.

Involucral bracts color.—Yellow-green 138 B.

Bloom:

Type.—Daisy.

Height.—Flat.

Size.—Large.

Fully expanded.—7.5-8.0 cm.

Number of blooms per branch.—Approx. 3 blooms per branch.

Performance on the plant.—5 weeks.

Seeds.—Produced in large quantities, oval shaped, grey-brown 199A, 2 mmin length.

Fragrance.—Typical chrysanthemum.

Color:

Center of the flower (disc-florets).—Immature yellow-green 144 A. Maturecenter yellow-green 144 B, the outer part yellow-green 151 A.

Color of upper surface of the ray-florets.—Greyed-orange 168 B.

Color of the lower surface of the ray-florets.—Yellow 13 C.

Tonality from distance.—A pot mum with orange flowers and a yellow-greendisc.

Color of the surface of the ray-florets after aging of theplant.—Greyed-orange 167 B.

Ray florets:

Texture.—Upper and under side smooth.

Number.—24-26.

Cross-section.—Flat to convex.

Longitudinal axis of majority.—Straight to reflexing.

Length of corolla tube.—Mostly short, sometimes medium long.

Ray-floret length.—2.8-3.4 cm.

Ray-floret width.—0.8-1.2 cm.

Ratio length/width.—Very low.

Shape of tip.—Round, somewhat dentate.

Disc florets:

Disc diameter.—1.6-1.8 cm.

Distribution of disc florets.—Numerous, clearly visible at all stages offlowering.

Shape.—Tubular.

Color.—Yellow-green 144 A.

Receptacle shape.—Conical raised.

Reproductive organs:

Stamen (present in disc florets only).—Thick, 4 mm.

Number of stamen.—4.

Stamen color.—Yellow-green.

Pollen.—Appears late.

Pollen color.—Yellow 13 A.

Styles (present in both ray and disc florets).—Thick.

Style color.—Yellow-green.

Style length.—6 mm.

Stigmas.—Yellw-green.

Stigma width.—2 mm.

Ovaries.—Enclosed in calyx.

Plant:

Form.—A pot mum meant for indoor use.

Growth habit.—Spreading.

Growth rate.—Rapid.

Height.—30.0-32.0 cm.

Width.—27.0 cm.

Stem color.—Yellow-green 138 B.

Stem strength.—Strong.

Stem brittleness.—Absent.

Stem anthocyanin coloration.—Absent.

Length of lateral branch.—From top to bottom 13-15 cm.

Lateral branch color.—Yellow-green 138 B.

Lateral branch, attachment.—Strong.

Branching (average number of lateral branches).—Good with 5 breaks afterpinching.

Peduncle length.—4.5-5.0 cm.

Peduncle color.—Yellow-green 138 B.

Flowering response(photo-periodic controlled crop, not naturalseason.—50 Days.

Foliage:

Color mature.—Upper side green 137 A. Under side green 138 B.

Color immature.—Upper side green 137 A. Under side green 138 B.

Size.—Large; length 6.5-8.0 cm, width 6.0-7.0 cm.

Quantity (number per lateral branch).—7-8.

Shape.—Round and lobed.

Texture upper side.—Glabrous.

Texture under side.—Pubescent.

Venation arrangement.—Palmate.

Shape of the margin.—Serrated.

Shape of base of sinus between lateral lobes.—Round.

Margin of sinus between lateral lobes.—Diverging.

Shape of base.—Trunate, sometimes cordate.

Apex.—Mucronate.

Differences with the comparison varieties When grown under the sameconditions ‘Hayes’ ‘Virunga’ Flower size 7.5-8.0 cm 6.5-7.0 cm Flowercolor Greyed-orange 168B Yellow-orange 22A Flower shape Ray-florets arerather broad Ray-florets more pointed and (1.2 cm) smaller (0.8-1.0 cm)

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum plant asdescribed and illustrated.